Dean Preston accepts likely loss to Bilal Mahmood in San Francisco’s heated D5 race

With Bilal Mahmood’s lead widening over San Francisco Supervisor Dean Preston, the incumbent has acknowledged his likely loss in the District 5 race.

In an Instagram post after the latest round of returns, the progressive lawmaker acknowledged defeat in what was the city’s most expensive supervisorial race this year.

“I’ve spent a lifetime fighting for underdogs, often against the odds,” Preston wrote. “I wouldn’t change a minute of it. We can’t win every battle, but we’ll continue the fight.”

Preston won the seat in a special election in 2019 and was elected to a full term the following year. The lone democratic socialist on the Board of Supervisors, he positioned himself as an advocate for renters and proposed tackling the opioid crisis by opening safe injection sites and hiring more community ambassadors.

Mahmood, a tech entrepreneur, ran on the promise of increasing housing supply and bolstering the police force. His victory would be a huge upset for one of the city’s most progressive districts, which encompasses the Tenderloin, Haight-Ashbury, and Western Addition.

“I think it shows that [voters] want a progressive who’s going to get results,” Mahmood told The Standard in a phone call Sunday evening.

As with the March primary, moderate candidates have mostly come out on top in San Francisco’s latest election, although their ballot measures have had mixed success.